Our Source of Encouragement

By Yodit Kifle Smith
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Encouraging one another is God’s idea. It’s good for our flourishing. Countless times in Scripture, we are admonished to encourage and edify each other because God’s love is beautifully seen through the encouragement we give one another.

But can I just say, God never gives us something edifying to our faith without making sure we first rely on HIM as the source of it before receiving it from others. 

I’ve personally seen the vicious cycle in my own mental and spiritual health when I’ve been the one encouraging but not receiving the encouragement.  I’ve seen how draining it becomes when you’re only counting on people to give it to you.

And the truth is we don’t always encourage others the way we are supposed to. We fall short of doing it or we willingly withhold it. 

Through it all, God has shown me how I had subtly made an idol of encouragement in my life. He showed me how much it consumed me when I felt like I wasn’t receiving it. Or how highly I thought of myself for being the one who didn’t withhold it. And one thing about good things becoming “idols” is if it keeps us from worshipping God rightly, then we’ve lost focus of whose encouragement really matters.
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This isn’t to discourage encouragement. By all means, please do the work of God in encouraging one another. It keeps us from being hardened by sin (Hebrews 3:13). It keeps us enduring in the faith (1 Thessalonians 5:11). It keeps us reminded of God’s goodness (Colossians 3:16). It upholds us in our moments of suffering and trials (Colossians 2:2). It's clear that Scripture shows us the great purposes that encouragement serves in our life. 
But for the one who is waiting for encouragement to feel significant, please KNOW and TRUST His delight of you as His child, right where you are.
May His nearness be tangible in your weariness.
May His Word revive your heart to the truth that He sees you, even if others don’t.
May His Spirit empower you to keep going. 
And ultimately, may we make it a habit to encourage ourselves in the Lord our God just as David did (1 Samuel 30:6).
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The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 

Passages to read/memorize/meditate:

1 Samuel 30:6
1Thessalonians 5:11 
Hebrews 10:23 
1 Peter 4:8 
Ephesians  4:29 
Proverbs 12:25 
Colossians 3:16 
Colossians 2:2 
Romans 14:19

Questions to Reflect on:

1. Have you found yourself discouraged from not receiving encouragement from others?
2. How do you find encouragement in the Lord?